Gas-engine starter.



G. Y. LAUCHIN.

GAS ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. 1915.

1 ,204, 1 64. I Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

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GAS ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1915.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. Y. LAUCHIN.

GAS ENGINE STARTER.

PLICATION FILED APR. 8.1915- 1,204,164.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

4 SHEETS SHEET 4.

IINITED %TATE PATENT @FFIQE.

GEORGE Y. LAUCI-IIN, F CRYSTAL FALLS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO EDWARD H. SENSIBA, OE CRYSTAL FALLS, IJZICHIGAN.

GAS-ENGINE STARTER.

naoniea.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1816.

To all to hom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE Y. Lnuonim a citizen of the United States, residlng at Crystal Falls, in the county of Iron and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-En gine Starters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an air starter for a gas engine, and to improved means for controlling the admission of fluid under pressure to the cylinders of the gas engine in starting it.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus of this kind which is particularly designed and adapted for use in connection with Ford automobiles.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device of this kind applied to a four cylinder engine and controlled from the dash-board of an automobile. Fi 2 is a view in elevation of a front plate with operating parts mounted thereon which is substituted for the front plate of an engine crank case to which the device is applied. Fig. 8 is an enlarged front elevation of the distributer valve mechanism. Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the electrical distributor and the valve distributer taken on line 14 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. Fig. 7 is a detail partly in section showing the means for operating the valves in the head of each cylinder in unison. Fig. 8 is a detail of the driving connection, and Fig. 9 is a detail view of the distributer valve passages.

This invention relates to a starter of that type in which air is pumped into a reservoir and then conducted through distributer valves to successive cylinders in the same order of their firing, to start the engine. The invention relates more particularly to the valve controlling means and to the construction and operation of the distributer valves.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates generally a four cylinder four stroke cycle engine of the ordinary type, such, for example, as used in a Ford automobile. A front plate 2 is substituted for the ordinary front plate of the engine, and mounted on and connected to this'front plate are various operating parts of the present invention. At

the lower front end of this plate 2 is a housing 3 in which the front end of the engine crank shaft 4L (see Fig. 8) projects and to which a bevel gear 5 is secured. If desired, the front plate of this housing may be provided with a perforation, indicated in Fig. 2, by the dotted outline 6, for the insertion of a starting crank to be used in emergencies, or the front plate may be made removable, as shown, for this same purpose. Connected to this gear 5 by means of a bevel; gear 7, is an upright shaft 8 having a gear 9 at its upper end meshing with another gear 10 on a fan shaft 11. Also mounted on the fan shaft 11 is a worm gear 12 meshing with a corresponding gear 13 on pump shaft 11. An air pump 15 is driven by this shaft and supplies compressed air through a tube 16 to a pressure tank 17 in the ordinary manner.

Formed integral with the plate 2 at one side thereof, is an oiling aperture 18 with a hinged cover 19 by means of which oil may be introduced into the engine crank case.

Projecting from the front of the plate 2 (see Fig. is a bracket 20 to which a housing 21 for the distributor valves is secured by means of bolts 22 at a distance from the plate 2. Between this housing 21 and the plate is an electrical distributer for timing the sparks of the various cylinders. The spark timer comprises a housing 23 (see Figs. and 5) in which is an insulating member 2 1 with a plurality of contacts 25 properly spaced apart and connected by. means of wires 26 to spark plugs 27 for the various engine cylinders. An eye member 28 is connected to the electrical timer by means of which it may be oscillated to advance or retard the spark in the ordinary manner, it being obvious that the electrical timer is free to rotate since it is freely mounted between the distributer valve housing and the plate 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, the plate being formed with a ridge 29, the housing 21 being formed with a ridge 30, and the timer itself being formed with corresponding ridges to hold the timer in proper position.

In the housing 21 is' an annular passage 31 (see Fig. 6) and a plurality of plugs 32 corresponding in number to the number of cylinders of the engine, are threaded in the housing. At the inside of the passage 31 opposite each of the plugs 32, is a valve seat 33 and a passage 34 communicating therewlth which leadsto one slde of the housing,

as shown more clearly in Fig. 9. A pipe is connected to each one or these passages and leads to one of the cylinders as hereafter set forth. A perforated plug 36 has connection with a pipe 37 for the admission of fluid under pressure therethrough to the annular passage 31. A valve 38 having a stem 39 which extends radially and through a housing 40 which forms the valve passage 34, is radially reciprocable and is adapted to close against each one of the valve seats 33. At the inner end or" each valve stem it is provided with a contact foot 41 by means of which the valve is raised from its seat. 7

In order to operate the electrical timer and the distributer valve mechanism, a common operating means is provided consisting of a cam member 42 (see Figs. 4 and 6) which is secured in any suitable manner to the engine cam shaft 43 also known as the halt time shaft, and usually connected to the crank shaft of the engine to make two revolutions while the crank siait is rotating once. The cam member 42 in that portion. within the electrical timer, is provided with a perforated projection 44 in which a contact breaker 45 is pressed outwardly by a spring 26 to make successive contacts in the well-known manner with the timing contacts 25 of the electrical timing device. rectangular projection. 47 of the cam member 42 extends into the valve timing housing 21 and mounted upon the rectangular portion 27 is a corresponding sleeve member 48 which is reciprocable on the rectangular projection but is positively rotated. with the cam member 42. This sleeve member 48 is formed with a cam portion 49' which is adapted to engage and open any one of the valves 38 by contact with the foot 41. This sleeve member 48 is also formed with an inclined portion 50 at one end extending entirely around the sleeve and of sufiicient height to raise all of the valves 38 from their seats when desired. This may be desired either to open all the valves in starting the motor or after the motor is started to lift thevalves from their seats to prevent them from continuously pounding on their seats. In order to operate the sleeve member 48 the end projects without the housing 21 (see .Fi 's. 3 and 4) and is formed with an annular groove 51 which is engaged by a yoke 52 pivotally mounted in the fixed brackets 53 which extendtrom the outer face of the housing 21. These brackets are formed with slots 54 in which a slide 55 is movable. The slide is formed with an angu lar slot 56 through which the stem of the yoke 52 extends, so that the reciprocation of the slide 55 causes the yoke and consequently the sleeve-member 48 to be moved in and out as desired.

Mounted in the top of'each cylinder, is a valve 57 and the valves of the different cylinders are in alinement and substantially in alinement with a valve 58 mounted. on the dash-board 59. These valves are all preferably of the type in which a quarter turn of the stem opens or closes the valve and the stems of the several valves are joined by connecting bars 60 and 61, the valve on the dash-board being provided with a handle 62 by means of which the valve on the dash board and the othervalves 57, may all be opened or closed in unison. This valve 58 on the dash-board, is connected by means of" Each of the valves 57 has a connection with the interior of the cylinder to which it is applied by means of a bolt 67 (see Fig. 7) which has a passage 68 extending partially through the bolt from the head there of with an internally threaded portion 69 to which the valve 57 is connected. Between the head of the bolt and the valve 57 is a check valve which preferably consists of a ball 70 which is pressed against a seat by back pressure from the cylinder and is held from closing the passage inthe other direction by means of a bar 72. Also mounted on the dashboard 59 is a crank which is joined by a suitable connection 66 with the slide 55 which operates the sleeve member 48, so that when the crank 65 is operated the sleeve 'member 48 will likewise be operated to place the valves 38 controlled thereby in the desired operating position. 7

In operation, if we assume that there is fluid under pressure in the tank 17, in order to start the engine it is necessary only to rotate the crank 62 to open the valves 58 and 57. This will admit the fluid underpressure through the pipe 63, valve 58,gage '64 and pipe 37 to the chamber 31 of the housing 21. In starting, it the cam '49 does not raise the proper valve 38 from its seat, the

sleeve member 48 is operated to raise all of 4 the valves from their seats, whereupon the fluid under pressure will be admitted through all of the valves 38 to their valve passages 34. The fluid under pressure will then be admitted to the proper cylinder to start the motor and after the motor is started the pressure of fluid in the annular chamber 31 tends to keep the valves 38 closed and they are opened in succession by the cam 49 which engages them. Thus it is seen thatthe same apparatus whichope'rates the electrlcal tnneralso operates the valves of the valve distributing mechanism in the same order for starting the motor; This insures that the cylmders will receive fluid under pressure at the proper time and in the proper sequence. After the engine is operated by the starter, the operation of the en gine under its own power is continued in the ordinary manner and the valves 57 and the driving connection shown in Fig. 8 and the fan shaft 11 will also be operated in the ordinary manner. in actual use, it is in tended that the front plate of the crank case of the machine to which this invention is applied, will be removed and the applicants plate 2 together with all the mech nism secured to and mounted thereon, will be sub stituted. As before stated, the construction is particularly designed and adapted for use in connection with Ford automobiles.

That I claim is:

1. T he combination with an internal com bustion engine, of an electrical spark timer operated thereby, a fluid pressure starter for the engine comprising tubes leading to the separate cylinders, and distributer valve mechanism axially fixed with respect to and operable simultaneously with the electrical timing mechanism and having a longitudinally shiftable element for opening all the distributer valves when desired.

2. The combination with an electrical timer with a gas engine comprising a rotatable contact maker, of a fluid pressure starter comprising distributer valve mechanism having a plurality of separate valves, a common operating member for the electrical timer and for the said valve mechanism, and a cam element longitudinally shiftable on the member having a portion to open and close all of the valves at the same time.

3. In a fluid pressure gas engine starter, the combination with an annular pressure chamber, means forming passages leading therefrom, radially movable valves to control the admission of fluid under pressure from the said passages normally held closed by fluid in the pressure chamber, and a rotatable cam for raising the valves from their seats in succession and with an extension for raising them all simultaneously.

4. In a fluid pressure starter for gas engines, the combination with distributor valve mechanism comprising radially movable valves, of rotatable longitudinally shiftable means in connection with the engine for opening the valves in succession and for opening all the valves simultaneously when shifted axially or longitudinally.

in a fluid pressure starter for gas engines with a plurality of cylinders, the combination with a separate fluid pressure admission stem for each cylinder, a valve connected thereto, a fluid pressure distributing valve connected to each of the other valves for admitting iiuid under pressure to the scv ral cylinders in succession, and means shiftable longitudinally and operable to open all of the distributing valves for the several cylinders simultaneously when desired.

G. A fluid pressure starter for a gas engine having a plurality of cylinders comprising a separate valve for the admission of fluid under pressure to each cylinder, distributer valve mechanism having a separate connection with each of the other valves, a control valve to admit fluid under pressure to the dis-ibuter valve mechanism, a single means connecting the control valve and the separate valves for each cylinder so that they may all be operated simultaneously and separate means slidable longitudinally for operating the distributer valve mechanism to admit iiuid under pressure to all cylinders when desired.

7. The combination with a gas engine with a removable casing plate therefor, a gas engine distributer valve mechanism secured t the plate at a distance therefrom, an electrical timing device for the gas engine disposed between the said mechanism and the plate and freely rotatable, a common rotary actuating mechanism for both the electrical timer and for the valve mechanism and a cam member movable on the said actuating mechanism operable to open the valves of the distributor mechanism in succession or simultaneously.

8. In a fluid pressure starter for gas engines, the combination with distributor Valve mechanism for admitting fluid under pressure to the gas engine cylinders comprising a plurality of radially movable valves, of a rotatable cam member for actuating the valves in succession having an inclined projection for raising all of the Valves from their seats to prevent their engagement by the cam.

9. In a fluid pressure starter for gas engines, a distributer valve mechanism for ad mitting fluid under pressure to the several gas engine cylinders comprising a plurality of movable valves, a member driven by the engine when in operation, a cam to operate the valves in succession slidable on said member but rotatable with it having a continuous inclined projection at one side of the cam for operating all of the valves simultaneously, and means for shifting the said cam on the driving member.

10. In a fluid pressure starter for gas engines, the combination with an air pump driven by the engine, a reservoir in which air from the pump is compressed, an ignition timer driven by the engine, a fluid pressure distributer adjacent the timer operated synchronously therewith, a tubular connection from the reservoir to the distributer and cylinders, and valve operating mechanism in the distributer comprising a cam mounted to rotate with the timer having a portion to engage the distributer valves for successive operation, and another portion movable into engagement with the valves for opening them all simultaneously.

11. In a fluid pressure starter for gas engines, the combination With an air compressor, of a reservoir connected thereto, a fluid pressure distributer having a separate valve for each engine cylinder, a tubular connection from the reservoir to the distributer, a control valve 1n the tubular connection,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this27th day of lvlareh, A. D. 1915.

'GEORGE Y. LAUCHIN.

Witnesses: V i

CHARLES H. SEEM, KENT W. VVONNELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

